A thread on advocacy tactics: I spent many years working for organizations that fought hard but always, always said that whatever governments did in response was not good enough. Ever.

Once I was literally asked to design buttons with the word “no” on them. Any potential win was tempered by what we didn’t get. We never celebrated successes. It was a total bummer.

Now I work a day job for an organization that has a significant impact on public policy. We propose alternatives, we push for change, and we acknowledge wins, even if we don’t move decision-makers to do the exact thing we asked for.

What I have learned from a 15-year career in advocacy and communications is that you need to celebrate wins before you move onto the next part of the fight. Otherwise activism is entirely demoralizing.

When you get a political opponent to move farther from their original position and closer to what you are asking for, it is a win. Not a complete win, but worthy of taking credit for.

I truly believe that the voices of parents and teachers are being heard and that we are getting somewhere because of sustained advocacy. Is the fight over? Hell no. But we can acknowledge that parents are a powerful constituency and that we are having an impact. En continue ...